Fuel distributing chamber



W. T. HANNA FUEL DISTRIBUTING CHAMBER Filed June 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOR 'Willz'agz Thompson Hanna Y. buy, @153 7 44 M ATTORNEYS May6, 1941.

VIII/III,

w. 1'. HANNA FUEL DISTRIBUTING CHAMBER Filed Jun'e 15/1938 2 Sheets-Shet2 Main INVENTOR [William The mpson Hanna ATTORNEYS Patented May 6, 1941UNHTED STATES PATENT or ies FUEL DISTRIBUTING CHAMBER William ThompsonHanna, Cincinnati, Ohio Application Junel5, 1938, Serial No.'213,809 2Claims. (01. 110-4055) This invention relates to locomotive stokers andmore particularly to fuel distributing mechanism disposed in theproximity of the fuel delivery entrance to a locomotive fire box.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide fuel distributingapparatus which is simple and sturdy in construction, and which evenlydistributes non-uniform particles of fuel over the fire bed. Anotherobject is to provide apparatus of the above nature which utilizes blastsof fluid under pressure to distribute the fuel and which provides morenearly uniform blasts as desired. Other objectswill be in part apparentand in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will beexemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described, and' the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one embodiment of thisinvention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation (looking from within the fire box) of thefuel distributing apparatus installed adjacent the firing opening;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View of the blast chamber shown in Figure 1,the bottom cover thereof being removed;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the apparatus shown inFigures 1 and 2, a portion of a fuel delivery conduit being shown insection;

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken along the line 55 in Figure 2; m

Figure 6 is a horizontal section takenal ng the line 6-6 in Figures 1and 4;

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken along the line 1-1 in Figures 2 and3;

Figure 8 is a vertical section taken along the line 8--B in Figures 2and 3;

Figure 9 isa vertical section taken along the line 9--9 in Figure 3;and,

Figure 10 is a vertical section taken along the line l0lll in Figure 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

In stoking locomotives with coal, run of the mine coal is generallybrought through a transfer conduit from beneath a tender to the firinopening of the locomotive fire box where it is distributed over the firebox by means of steam blasts. Run of the mine coal as it is put into thetender consistsof very fine particles all the way up to large lumps.This coal in passing to the transfer conduit is crushed so that thelumps are at least reduced to a certain maximum size. Thus the coal, onreaching the firing opening, consists of fine, almost dust-likeparticles, and larger particles on up to lumps which may be two inchesin diameter. The coal thus presented to the fire box must be distributedover it uniformly and in such manner that the fine coal is not blown outof the stack to give black. snroke and the accompanying loss, and sothat the larger lumps will not all pile up in the fire box adjacent thefiring opening. Also, the coal must be fired evenly over the fire box,which is oftentimes as large as ten feet long and eight feet wide oreven larger. If it is not distributed evenly and allows a thin spot toform in the bed, the draft may burn out that spot and so short-circuitthe air fiow through the rest of the bed, causing the whole fire to godown. Or if the coal piles up in any particular place, thereby stoppingthe draft from comin through, the coal does not burn sufficientlyrapidly and continues to pile up unburned coal, forming clinkers.

Thus, the importance of proper distribution of the coal over the firebed can readily be appreciated, and the difiiculty of distributing thisheterogenous coal may be understood.

In my PatentNo. 2,044,001, I have described a blast chamber anddistributing plate which is designed to screen the coarse particles fromthe finer particles so as to distribute the coarser particles with highpressure jets and the finer particles with a low pressure jet, at thesame time to so blanket the low pressure jet carrying the fine fuel asto prevent that fuel from leaving the stack unburned. To obtain thedesired degree of efliciency from this blast chamber, however, it isdesirable to have uniformity in the strength of the various relatedsteam blasts and with the present invention this desired uniformity ofblast is made practical in an inexpensive and commercially practicaldevice.

Referrrng now to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the fuel distributingapparatus comprises a distributing device or blast chamber generallyindicated at 20, and a distributor plate coacting therewith generallyindicated at 50. Blast device 20 has a pair of supporting arms 2| and 22pivotally connected respectively to steam pipes 23 and 24 which suspendthe blast chamber within a firing opening 25. With reference to Figure4, fuel distributing device is suspended (as described in theabove-mentioned patent) adjacent the delivery end or spillway of a fuelconduit 26, only a part of which is shown, which delivers fuel to device20 from which the fuel is blown by a fluid such as steam under pressureover the fire bed in the fire box.

Referring back to Figure 1, fuel distributing device 20 includes .aplurality of fingers 21 each of which has a jet 28 communicating with asymmetrically shaped high pressure steam chamber 29 (Figure 6) having acentral opening 36 in the back thereof which connects the chamber to a Iconduit 3| (see also Figure 5) communicating with steam pipe 23 by achannel 32- (Figure 6-) formed in supporting arm 2|. Preferably steamchamber 29 tapers towards its extremities 29a and 29b to effect "auniformity of steam pressure throughout the chamber. Steam channel 32 isconnected in any suitable manner with a source (not shown) of highpressure steam. Fingers 21. are arranged in diverging fan-like formationso that steam supplied by pipe 23 (Figure 5) and flowingthroughchannelSZ, conduit 3| and opening-i (Figure 6). intochamber 29 isdistributed in a fan-shaped blastby jets 23. AsshowninFigure 7, jets. 23project slightly downwardly and accordingly the steam blast is directeddownward- 1y toward the fire bed rather than upwardly toward. the stack,for purposes described hereinafter.

Opening 30a which connects steam conduit 3! withchamber 2.91s formed byapartition 33 which separates conduit 31? from chamber 29. and apartition 3 's which separates. chamber 29 from a steam duct 35. Becauseof the location ofopening 30. and partition 34, the steam is deliveredsubstantially centrally into chamber 2% in which it. may expa-ndsomewhat before flowing through fingers 27 The central disposition ofopening 39,

the change of'direction of steam flow afforded by partition 34. and thetapered ends 29a and 29b of chamber 2% result in a substantially uniformpressure throughout the. chamber, with the ultimate result, that. thepressure of" the steam blast from each jet 28" is substantially uniform.

Referring back to Figure 1 distributing device. or-blast. chamber Kitincludes a horizontal steam orifice. or sl ot. jetv 3-6. which isarcuate in shep'eand. disposed below. the plane of jets 28 (Figures and8).. Slotjet 3%. is formed by a downwardly extending portion 31' ofblast chamber 2 13. andsthe edge portion fiflaofabottom cover plate H!which. is secured tothe blast chamber by screws. 39-: orthe like. Asshown-in. Figure 5, blast chamber has a recessed portion which withbottom cover plate 38f'ormsa low. pressure steam: chamber 4ftcommunicating with slotv jet 316' (Figure 7.). Steam flows into chamber40 friomydiuct 352 through a plurality of ports 4'! formed in. apartition. 42' of blast chamber 219 which separates chamber Mi from.chamber 29 andzfrom steam'duct. 35. Steam duct communicates with steampipel' l" by way of a chan- 7 hell; formed in supporting arm 22-;channel 43 being suitably connected to a source (not shown) Grimpressure steam. Theseports 4| are arranged substantially centrally ofchamber (Eigurefir) preferably at. the rear thereof sothat steam flowingthroughthe port's impinges directly against bottom. plate- 38- (Figures5' andv '7) and spreads uniformly throughout the chamber;

Iihave. found. that: providing the plurality of; symmetricallyarranged:portstilbetween the chamber "39; iandilth chamber. 410: a. more nearlyuniform blast is obtained from the jet 36 in spite of suchirregularities of shape as may occur in chamber 40 due to imperfectionsof casting. These ports and the baffles 34, G5 and 46 break the steamflow into a relatively large number of paths.

As will be noted in greater detail hereinbelow, fuel distributing deviceor blast chamber 20 (Figure 1) includes a plurality of finger jets 28and a slot jet 3% disposed below the finger jets. Assuming that jets 28and slot jet 36 project blasts of steam the intensity of each of whichis uniform throughout its entire extent, all particles of fuel,regardless of their size, are projected by the two blasts into the firebox and are uniformly distributed over all portions of the fire bed.

Chamber 40 is provided with a suitable number of baffles 45, 45 and 46which are proportioned and arranged to influence the distribution ofsteam throughout chamber 46 so as to effect a flow of steam through theentire extent of slot jet-3% at, a substantiallyunifornr pressure. Blastchamber: Ed also inciudes a pair of jets 4i and 48 (Figures 2, 3 and.10-) which preferably are arranged with their dis-charge ends in a planeslightly above that of slot jet 36, but below that of jets 2.5; the axisof jets d! and 48 preferably being slightly inc-lined. and'later-allydivergent. These jets; also communicate with chamber 39 and accordinglyare supplied with steam at the same pressure as. that. at all portionsof slot jet 35. Bafiies- 45 and 46- may be integral with blast chamber2il- (see Figures '7, 8 and 9) and extend downwardly therefrom againstbottom plate 33, and preferably are symmetrically disposed throughoutchamber ail (Figure 3). Conveniently, one of bafiles M. is disposedadjacent and centrally or entry ports M, the other baffles 44 beingdisposed laterally of theentry ports at a substantial distancetherefrom. Each of baifies 35 is disposed laterally ofth-e entry ports Mbetween adjacent baffles 3% and baffl-es- 4'6 may project into chamber48. from the rear wall of the chamber on opposite sides ofports it. Itis to be understood, however; that this arrangement of the baffles isillustrative and may be modified in accordance with varying conditions.

It will now appear that steam flowing through pipe 24 (Figure 5) flowsthrough channel 33, duct 35 and ports ll intochamber 4E0 from which itflows at a substantially uniform pressure through'solt jet-36 (Figure1') and jets: 4'1 and 48.

Suitably suspended within firing opening 25 (Figures 1, 2 and 4) is afuel distributing 'plate 59-. whose upper surface 58' is disposed: belowjets 28 and slot jet 35 and which is siightly inclined downwardly-withrespect to the planes thereof. The opposite sides of fuel distributingplate 49 are hollowed out towprov-idecurved and sloping fuel channels5l-5E:, which terminate at each side. of the plate; pockets 5+ beingaligned respectively with jetsdfiand 48-.

in operat on, fuelparticlesof heterogeneous are spihed irom'fuel conduit25 (Figure 4) ough firing. opening 25. ontoblast chamber fingers 2'5.The largerparticles of coal ride down ovcrthese fingers until they falloff. the ends thereof in. front. of. the blast. of. steam. shooting f Yr28'. As noted above, these jets are downwardly and accordingly of fuel;downwardly onto the eludes passage of fuel up the dermcr as theblast ofsteam from s is=of uniform intensity throughout itsarea an; evendistribution of the larger fuel particles is effected throughout thefire bed. The smaller fuel particles fall between fingers 21 into thepath of the steam blast shooting from slot jet 36 which with its blastof even intensity spreads the fuel in a fan-like sheet over the firebed.

Because the finer fuel particles are distributed by the sheet blast fromthe slot jet in a plane below the blast from finger jets 28, suchparticles are protected, by the downwardly expanding curtain of steamformed by the upper blast, from being carried upward and out of thestack. The slight inclination of finger jets 28 facilitates thisprotective action of the upper blast.

As shown in Figure l, the size of the spillway opening at the top ofblast chamber 20 is variable through the provision of a pair of slidableplates 52 and 53.

Accordingly it may be seen that I have provided fuel distributingapparatus which attains the several objects hereinabove set forth in athoroughly practical and efficient manner.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and asmany changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is tobe understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a distributing device for a locomotivestoker for distributing over a fire box fuel fed thereto, saiddistributing device comprising a metal casting having a plurality ofhollow fingers extending from the body of the casting in fan shape, saidcasting having a high pressure steam chamber therein communicating withsaid hollow fingers from within the casting for conducting steamthereto, said casting having a recess formed on one side thereof, theupper wall of said recess having a plurality of centrally disposedorifices therein for the admission of steam thereto, a cover plate forforming with said recess a low pressure steam chamber, the upper wall ofsaid recess and said cover plate forming top and bottom sides for saidlow pressure steam chamber, means forming a longitudinal slot in saidlow pressure steam chamber through which steam may fiow from said lowpressure chamber, and means forming a plurality of baifles in said lowpressure chamber extending from one of said sides to the other anddisposed between said opening and said slot for so restricting the fiowof steam to said slot that a uniform steam pressure exists in said lowpressure chamber at the exit end of said slot.

2. As an article of manufacture, a distributing device for a locomotivestoker for distributing over a fire box fuel fed thereto, saiddistributing device having a longitudinal slot for emitting a jet ofsteam, means forming a chamber in said device for supplying steam tosaid slot, said chamber having opposed sides, means forming a passagewaycommunicating with said chamber at the central back portion thereof,said passageway opening downwardly into said chamber, means in saidpassageway for divinding steam flowing therefrom to said chamber into aplurality of paths whereby the steam flows against one of said sides tospread out uniformly in said chambersubstantially at right angles to itsdirection of fiow through said passageway, and means in said chamber fordividing steam flowing through said chamber to said longitudinal slotinto a plurality of paths to aid in the emission of steam from said slotat a substantially uniform pressure throughout the length thereof.

WILLIAM THOMPSON HANNA.

